Our Top 3 Straighteners For Thick & African American Hair Types

Thick hair is exceedingly beautiful to look at, however it can be hard to manage at times. Straighteners are designed with heated plates to iron the kinks out of hair creating smooth, sleek straight locks.

Whether you have slightly wavy, curly thick locks, or African American hair, the flat iron can straighten the follicle better than other styling devices, such as a blow dryer, paddle brush or straightening brush.

The key to achieving optimum hair care and straightening without damaging, is choosing the best flat iron available for your hair type.

Which flat iron should you use? Read on to help guide you on how to choose, and be more informed about what is available in the market.

What To Look For In A Flat Iron For Thick Hair

When purchasing a flat iron for thick hair there are a few things to consider before making the final decision:

What type of plate material is best for my hair type?

The iron plates found on straighteners are made from a variety of materials; from ceramic to tourmaline and even titanium (see below). Ceramic is often the foundation with the other materials targeting different needs.

Does the flat iron need adjustable temperatures?

Hair can be damaged at temperatures over 450F so it’s important to be very careful when using high temps. For the thick hair types the ideal temperature is between 380 to 410 degrees. Although African American hair may need temperature options of up to 450F. Many hair irons so have adjustable temperatures up to 410F or 450F depending on your hair which is what you want.

Does plate size matter?

Flat irons have been designed in a number of sizes; this is from ½ inch to 2 inches in width. If you have short thick hair, it would be advisable to get a flat iron with ½ inch width, but if your hair is long, the 2-inch width is a better choice.

1.5 inch is a great option for thick hair too.

Flat Iron Plate Material

Ceramic

The ceramic flat iron is very popular as it is the most economical option for thick hair. It is a great option for straightening and smoothing your hair at low temperatures. Most of the ceramic flat irons will offer you ionic technology, which is electronic ionizers that can generate negative ions.

In turn, the ions will neutralize the positive ions and effectively seal your hair cuticles. The result from the use of a ceramic iron is frizz-free, shiny hair, accordingly, making light reflect off your hair very easily. The flat iron guarantees long-lasting, durable and effective manageable hair.

Tourmaline

Most of the ceramic flat irons you will find in the market will also have tourmaline included in the title. What this means, this type of styling tools has been designed with prismatic crystals that have been added after being crushed to fine powder.

The crushed minerals will help in smoothing your hair cuticles, as a result; it will prevent any further heat damage caused to your hair.

When using a tourmaline hair straightener means most of the time you will pass over each section of your hair just once, this results in less risk of heat damage caused to your hair.

Titanium

Flat irons that have been designed with titanium plates are often sought after, because, Titanium is the only metal able to offer best results in flatness and even sheen for your curly hair. Thus, we could consider it among the best straightener for thick hair.

The flat iron comes in a wider range of settings to ensure the level of control is always in your favor while you are using it, and when it comes to minimizing the heat damage possibilities.

As a result, if you like straightening your hair every day and your hair is ‘heat trained’ then you should consider this type of flat iron. Consider the titanium iron as a hair care investment as it can withstand the ultra-high heat and it resists corrosion.

Our Top 3 Straighteners For Thick Hair

With a wide range of flat irons in the market, it can be very difficult choosing the best one for your hair type. For the ladies who have thick hair, you are in luck as we have gathered the top three flat irons that have been specially designed for thick hair.

Flat Iron Vs Hair Straightening Brush For Thick Hair

When thinking of straightening thicker hair, there are various heat tools you could use. Here are some reasons why a straightening brush may not be ideal for your hair:

The flat iron has different plate materials and widths to suit all types of hair

With it’s higher temperatures the flat iron can straighten even the coarser African-American types of hair

The brush doesn’t get to the hair roots the way an iron can

The brush straightener is ideal for normal to finer hair types

If you are after a smooth straight look from the roots to the shafts then go for a flat iron, especially if you have thick, coarse hair.

Final Thoughts

There are now a lot more flat irons available for thick hair, so when choosing be sure to they have the main features such as; adjustable high-temperature settings, high quality plate material, auto shut-off is safe for these higher temps, and at least a 1 inch plate width if not wider.

We hope you have found this article helpful in your quest to find the perfect iron for styling your thick hair.

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